Disconnecting Vaca

We really got our moneys worth out of that condo cause the kids got out of school the Wednesday after Memorial Weekend. I still had the condo till Friday. The end of school is so stressful on everyone so we took a Disconnect Vacation.  I had Groupons for tickets to a fancy movie theater where they bring you fancy food and you have nice leather seats with tables. We went twice. 

We swam everyday. Took naps. Played board games and just enjoyed each others company. Hardly any fighting and it was a nice way to start the summer. Unfortunately Doug had to work and stay and do the animals. We ended up getting 2 new baby goats so it was good that he stayed.

Brace Face

Our only kid who needed braces (Thank Heavens since it cost us $2900 after insurance). She is funny cause when we went to the Orthodontist he asked her if she had been waiting a long time to get the braces and she said she didn't care about it. Her parents were making her get them.

I told her she would thank me someday. Dr. Rollins said her teeth would move quickly but her jaw was 70% out of alignment and that would take 2 years. 

Still cute as ever with them on. In only 1 day her teeth were almost all straight. It sure did hurt too. Amazing!

Friend Fun

What do your kids do when they hang out? My kids pluck chickens.

This is Derrik's friend Ben Klein. We really do fit out here in Queen Creek. They boys hunted the chickens with pellet guns then plucked and gutted themselves.

I am just glad I didn't have to do it!

Sisters Getaway

Doug and I have this travel club we belong to. We can get really good deals on condos all over the world. There was a sale on condos in Scottsdale of $129 for a 2 bedroom condo for a whole week. I am sure it was because it is so hot in May and June no one wants to come here. I booked it and invited my sisters and mom to come. Ended up only Ginger could come but that is ok. She was able to stay Friday through Monday since it was Memorial Day weekend. We did pedicures and relaxed. It was nice. Doug stayed home with the kids.

Ginger was slowly turning into Shrek.

Doug came over for the day on Monday.  We had a nice relaxing day with no kids. I went home for Tuesday and then brought the kids back Wednesday. Talk about getting our moneys worth!

Child Labor Can Be Dangerous

Sadie was helping her dad one night putting in the irrigation pipe for the backyard. We had already had one turn of irrigation but Doug wanted to extend the pipe so it would get the backyard as well. It was coming early the next day so he had to get it in. I was still laid up in bed from my surgery and Derrik wasn't feeling well with his Diabetes so Sadie volunteered.  (She was trying to change her dad's mind about a grounding that he was implementing. That might have been some of the effort but we will just keep it at she volunteered.)

The pipe is a big heavy plastic pipe dug down into a trench of 3 feet or so feet. When the existing pipe was cut to make the extension, tons of water came and flooded the trench making it a very muddy mess on top of it being dark and late. Doug had Sadie inside the trench trying to help him get the pipe connected when all of the sudden it slipped. Somehow Sadies leg got caught in between the pipe. Since it was so wet and slippery and super heavy Doug couldn't get the pipe off her leg right away. She was screaming in pain. Doug said it felt like forever but he finally got it off. He felt so bad. Bad enough to lift the grounding too.

It hurt worse than it looks.

It stayed bruised for months. I finally took her to see a dr when it was oozing green pus a few weeks later.

It made a huge indention in her leg but not a lot of blood. It will be a scar with a story for sure.

Doug watering his seed in between the irrigation everyday by hose so it will be grow.

First Prom

Sadie did not think she would be asked to prom this year because she was only a Sophomore. Must to her very delighted surprise she got a knock at the door on St. Patricks Day.

She had to dig through her pot of gold to find the clues. It was so cute and so original. I think he was the first one to ask anyone since it was only March 17th and Mormon Prom wasn't until May 11th.

Her date will be Addison Cox. A very nice kid. He is in our ward and she is in his choir class at school.

On the big day Sadie and her friend Hailey Long got ready in my bathroom. Haileys mom got them a big fruit tray and they had music and made a day out of it. I can only imagine what her wedding will be like! We are not that much alike that if for sure.

Look how much taller Sadie is now than me! She was happy that she finally found a guy that is taller than her so she got to wear heels too!

Addison Cox, Sadie Slade, Steven Smith, and Hailey Long

Putting on the flowers was a challenge. Mom had to step in.

They went to eat at the Rainforest Cafe. They had a great group of kids they went with.

Then Addison's sister, Emily, took them to go get pictures at a place close by.

 Sadie borrowed this beautiful dress and made her necklace out a jewel she bought. All I had to do was dry clean the dress so we could return it. I love that.

D-Backs

Doug got tickets for Diamondbacks Baseball at his work. We got extras so the kids could bring friends. Sadie had to work so she couldn't go. We were in the nose bleed seats but it was fun being with the kids.

I have never not been to a game where they have lost. I am their lucky charm. They won this one too. I am not a sports fan so I don't remember much about it except that Derrik and his friends were trying to get those girls numbers back behind them. They were throwing paper airplanes with notes on them but most of the notes didn't make it. SO FUNNY! 

Derrik, Dillon Donn, Ben Klein, Kamryn and Courtney Orban.

Kamryn and Courtney Orban mostly just did each others hair and I was stuck next to this kid who would not stop talking to me. Doug watched the game.

We stayed late for the fireworks and concert. I can't remember the singer but I do know some of their songs so they were famous. It was super late so the kids fell asleep on the way home. I had to take this beauty.

Bell

We got a new doggy. Bisket really needed a friend but we needed on that would be small enough to fit through the cat door we got for Bisket. Bell was a puppy of a dog that a lady who helps us with our goats rescued. She is a Chiuawa and a little bit of something else. She is only 2 lbs and really loves to snuggle.

Originally it was for Derrik for his birthday but he didn't want her cause he thought she was a foofoo dog and gave her to Sadie. He still loves on her but Sadie clams her.

Now we just got to get her to quit pooping and peeing all over the place!

Happy 15th Bud

We are so happy we have our son for his birthday. What a hard year 14 ended up being. Next year will be better. Kamryn made Derrik a sugar free chocolate pie for his birthday.

Derrik's dad got him all hooked up for his hike he was going on for Young Mens Camp in a few weeks. He was thrilled. He tried it all on right then.

For his birthday dinner he picked Red Lobster. Low carbs and lots of crabs. My favorite too. He ate a whole Ultamite Feast by himself.

Let the Water Flow

Finally after 2 years of work, digging up tons of asphalt and spending a lot of money and time, Doug was able to get his irrigation. He has been wanting this for his cow pasture since we moved in. He built the fence, the shade, he dug the pipe and leveled all the ground. He did such a great job!

 Ain't He Cute?

We ended up building more concrete around the pipe to make it more stable.

It  It could not have gone better. He did need to build up the cement around the output better cause we didn't realize the great amount of pressure it took. It filled up in less than 30 minutes. 

We went went in together with our great neighbors The Lemieux's. It was their first irrigation too.